Note:
Usually for translating songs, I like to follow the order and structure of the
original Tibetan as closely as possible. It just makes sense to me that you
would want to know what is being said as it is being said. Often though, that
makes it quite difficult to render it into English appropriately. This song is
a good example of where it might be too difficult to adhere to the original
Tibetan progression, and so I rearranged it to be more suitable for English
sentence structures. Thus, for example, although the last two lines of each
verse are identical in Tibetan, for the most part I had to render them
differently in the English translation. On another interesting note, there is
an adaptation from the one of the sixth Dalai Lama's most famous spiritual poem
ཁྲུང་ཁྲུང་དཀར་མོ་ (trung trung karmo) "The White
Crane". This is a theme that is common in many modern and folk Tibetan
music, adapted in various ways though always instantly recognizable. I must
admit, I always get goosebumps when I see this phrase pop up here and there (it
is a favorite of mine). Finally, I dedicate this translation to my own mother
whose son has also wandered to far-off lands. I pray we meet again and again.

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Call of the White Crane

From the singing nomads of the grasslands of Amdo and Kham, to the nightclubs of Lhasa--and even including Tibetans in exile across the globe--we bring you some of the most incredible and inspiring Tibetan music videos for your listening and viewing pleasure. With our original translations of such wonderful and soulful music, it is our hope that people from all over can appreciate and connect with the voices of Tibet--crying out for their own people, their own land, and their own traditions. The 'Call of the White Crane' resonates through the voices of Tibet's pawo and pamo (heroes and heroines) who tirelessly work to lift the spirits of their people and ensure the longevity of their precious culture.